Desktop Study on - Regional Climate Change Adaptation ...

<strong>Desktop</strong> <strong>Study</strong>
research activities organised at the national level
(Solar, 2009).
Institutional responses
Approximately 38% of all the adaptation activities
proposed in the NAPA are related to the agricultural
sector, focusing on enhancement of household-level
integrated farming to improve farmers’ income and
food security, development of rice intensification
system to reduce vulnerability to rainfall variability,
and the development and improvement of
community-level irrigation systems to mitigate the
effects of drought, specifically in the Tônlé Sap and
along the major Mekong floodplains (Roth, 2009,
Solar, 2009). Rehabilitation of coastal infrastructure
is also promoted to increase agricultural production
and mitigate erosion in coastal zones.
Gaps Identified in Programmes and
Studies Research Gaps
There has not been much research focused on farm
level adaptation in Cambodia, which reflects the
generally weak research capacity (Roth, 2009).
However, there is a potential research linkage
between the Cambodian Agriculture Research
Institute and other institutes, e.g. International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which promotes
genetically modified rice varieties with tolerance
to climate variability. The breeding of rice varieties
that are highly tolerant to submergence and drought
is suggested as potential significant contribution
to predominantly practiced rice-based cropping
systems in Cambodia.
Meanwhile, it is said that the research processes,
including the consultation through operationalisation
of research results, does not often entail community
farmers. For example, when analysing research
data and utilising research findings, common local
language or code of standard, which is not necessarily
a skill required for reading, is not reflected in
relevant materials or considered among agricultural
researchers. Hence this builds a barrier against data
sharing with local users (Solar, 2009).
Enhanced knowledge bases for decision-making
support are missing. This includes 1) improved
monitoring, 2) enhanced groundwater mapping and
compilation of existing knowledge on groundwater
availability and quality, 3) improved availability and
accessibility of data for decision-making, and 4) a
system for enhancing and expanding management
capacity at the province and commune levels as well
as at the irrigation scheme level (Watt, 2009 cited in
Solar, 2009). This knowledge base would be useful
for irrigation operation that can be maintained and
owned by the government and water user groups
collaboratively.
Governance Gaps
It has been required to establish a comprehensive
institutional mechanism to strengthen the adaptive
capacities of small scale producers, including the
instruments for tenure security, equitable access
to productive assets and infrastructure, a means
to enhance accessibility and usability of scientific
information on climate patterns at the local level.
In order to accomplish this mechanism, the grey
areas that are not well understood need to be
addressed: for example, how livelihood security
of small-scale farmers may be degraded by what
kind of adaptation responses and other social and
environmental stressors; and which factors and
conditions undermine the voices of small producers
to be underrepresented and excluded in the national
and intermediate-level planning for climate change
adaptation (Personal Communications, MAFF-
Fisheries Administration cited in Solar, 2009).
It is pointed out that much of rehabilitation work
for improved irrigation system financed by RGC and
donor usually focuses on rehabilitating dams and
reservoirs, head works and the main and secondary
channels, but not on the tertiary distribution system
that should be connected to these main channels
(Roth, 2009). Together with this gap, technical
aspects of rehabilitation work need to be addressed,
including the design of irrigation structures, lack
of drainage management and integrated drainage
systems, effective delivery systems to end-users,
matching irrigation schedules to crop demands for
Cambodian soil and climate conditions (ibid).
Capacity Gaps
Water user groups have the limited capacity to
operate the irrigation system since they do not
have a strong tradition of irrigation or their social
relationships have been weakened due to incidents
during the Khmer Rouge period (Roth, 2009).
Recent Projects in the Agriculture
and Food Sector
To follow up on the NAPA, one project called
“Promoting Climate Resilient Water Management
and Agricultural Practices in Rural Cambodia”, which
relates to both agricultural and water sector, has
been facilitated by UNDP and GEF (Roth, 2009). Built
on the NAPA, this project focuses on institutional
capacity building, demonstration of integrated water
resource management and consolidation of best
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